Method and apparatus for generating and communicating messages between subscribers to an electronic messaging network

Abstract

An electronic messaging network comprises a network operation center and plural message terminals, all including memories for storing corresponding files of canned messages and associated message codes. To send a canned message, a calling party selects a canned message stored at one message terminal and transmits the assigned message code to a receiving party at another message terminal via the network operation center. The receiving terminal retrieves the selected canned message from its memory using the received message code for display to the receiving party. Files of canned responses and associated response codes may also be stored in the memories at the terminals and network operation center to allow the exchange of selected canned response options in conjunction with canned messages to be in response code form.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of communicating messages between subscribers to an electronic messaging network, comprising the steps of: maintaining, at a network operation center, a first file of canned messages and message codes respectively assigned to the canned messages;   maintaining at a first terminal of a first subscriber a second file of canned messages corresponding to the first file;   selecting an appropriate canned message from the second file for transmission to a second terminal of a designated second subscriber;   sending the message code assigned to the selected canned message to the network operation center;   retrieving the selected canned message from the first file using the message code received from the first terminal;   determining whether the second terminal can receive the canned message in a text form or message code form; and   communicating the selected canned message to the second terminal in either message code form or text code form in response to the determination.   
     
     
       2. The method defined in claim 1, further including the step of updating the first and second canned message files. 
     
     
       3. The method defined in claim 1, further including the step of displaying the selected canned message at the second terminal. 
     
     
       4. The method defined in claim 3, further including the step of adding a parameter to the canned message selected from the second file; the sending step including the step of sending the added parameter with the assigned message code to the network operation center;   the communicating step including the step of communicating the added parameter with the selected canned message to the second terminal; and   the displaying step including the step of displaying the selected canned message with the added parameter incorporated therein.   
     
     
       5. The method defined in claim 3, further including the steps of: adding multiple response options to the canned message selected from the second file; the sending step including the step of sending the added multiple response options with the assigned message code to the network operation center;   the communicating step including the step of communicating the added multiple response options with the selected canned message to the second terminal; and   the displaying step including the step of displaying the selected canned message together with the added multiple response options;     selecting one of the multiple response options at the second terminal;   communicating the selected response option to the network routing the selected response option from the network operation center to the first terminal; and   displaying the selected response option at the first terminal.   
     
     
       6. The method defined in claim 5, further including the step of adding a parameter to the canned message selected from the second file; the sending step further including the step of sending the added parameter to the network operation center together with the assigned message code and the multiple response options;   the communicating step further including the step of communicating the selected canned message, multiple response options, and added parameter to the second terminal; and   the displaying step at the second terminal further including the step of displaying the selected canned message, added parameter, and multiple response options.   
     
     
       7. The method defined in claim 6, further including the step of correspondingly updating the first and second canned message files. 
     
     
       8. A method of communicating messages between subscribers to an electronic messaging network, comprising the steps of: maintaining, at a network operation center, a first file of canned messages and message codes respectively assigned to the canned messages;   maintaining at a first terminal of a first subscriber, a second file of canned messages and message codes corresponding to the first file;   maintaining, at a second terminal of a second subscriber, a third file of canned messages and message codes corresponding to the first file;   selecting an appropriate canned message from the second file for transmission to the second terminal;   sending the message code assigned to the selected canned message to the network operation center;   relaying the message code assigned to the selected canned message from the network operation center to the second terminal;   retrieving the selected canned message from the third file using the assigned message code received from the network operation center; and   displaying the selected canned message retrieved from the third file.   
     
     
       9. The method defined in claim 8, further including the step of updating the first, second, and third canned message files. 
     
     
       10. The method defined in claim 8, further including the step of adding a parameter to the canned message selected from the second file; the sending step including the step of sending the added parameter with the assigned message code to the network operation center;   the relaying step including the step of relaying the added parameter with the assigned message code to the second terminal; and   the displaying step including the step of displaying the selected canned message with the added parameter incorporated therein.   
     
     
       11. The method defined in claim 8, further including the steps of: adding multiple response options to the canned message selected from the second file; the sending step including the step of sending the added multiple response options with the assigned message code to the network operation center;   the relaying step including the step of relaying the added multiple response options with the assigned message code to the second terminal; and   the displaying step including the step of displaying the selected canned message together with the added multiple response options;     selecting one of the multiple response options at the second terminal;   communicating the selected response option to the network operation center;   routing the selected response option from the network operation center to the first terminal; and   displaying the selected response option at the first terminal.   
     
     
       12. The method defined in claim 11, further including the steps of: maintaining at the network operation center, a fourth file of canned multiple response options and response codes respectively assigned to the canned multiple response options;   maintaining at the first terminal, a fifth file of canned multiple response options and response codes corresponding to the fourth file; and   maintaining, at the second terminal, a sixth file of canned multiple response options and response codes corresponding to the fourth file;   wherein the selecting step further includes the step of selecting appropriate canned multiple response options from the fifth file;   the sending step further includes the step of sending the response codes assigned to the selected multiple response options together with the message code to the network operation center;   the relaying step further includes the step of relaying the message and response codes from the network operation center to the second terminal; and   the retrieving step further includes the step of retrieving the selected canned multiple response options from the sixth file using the assigned response codes received from the network operation center.     
     
     
       13. The method defined in claim 12, further including the step of adding a parameter to the canned message selected from the second file; the sending step further including the step of sending the added parameter to the network operation center together with the assigned message and response codes; the relaying step further including the step of relaying the added parameter with the assigned message and response codes to the second terminal, and   the displaying step at the second terminal further including the step of displaying the selected canned message and multiple response options with the added parameter incorporated therein.   
     
     
       14. The method defined in claim 13, further including the step of correspondingly updating the first through sixth files. 
     
     
       15. A network operation center for use in an electronic messaging network, comprising: a memory storing a file of canned messages in text form, each canned message having a unique, abbreviated message code assigned thereto;   a receiver for receiving a message code from a calling terminal included in the network;   means responsive to the received message code for retrieving from the memory the canned message assigned thereto;   means for determining whether a receiving terminal in the network can receive the canned message in text form or message code form; and   a transmitter for transmitting the retrieved canned message in text form or message code form in response to the determining means.   
     
     
       16. The network operation center defined in claim 15, the determining means routing the received message code directly to the transmitter upon determination that the receiving terminal can receive the canned message in message code form. 
     
     
       17. The network operation center defined in claim 15, further including means for updating the canned message file stored in the memory and a corresponding canned message file stored in a memory in at least the calling terminal. 
     
     
       18. The network operation center defined in claim 15, wherein the memory stores a separate file of canned multiple response options having response codes respectively assigned thereto; said responsive means further including means for retrieving from the memory those canned multiple response options assigned to response codes received from the calling terminal by the receiver, the retrieved canned message and multiple response options being transmitted to the receiving terminal by the transmitter; and   the network operation center further including means for routing a selected canned multiple response option received from the receiving terminal to the calling terminal in either text or response code form.   
     
     
       19. A message terminal for use in an electronic messaging network, comprising: a memory storing a file of canned messages and message codes respectively assigned thereto and a file of canned multiple response options and response codes respectively assigned thereto;   means for retrieving the file of canned messages and the file of canned multiple response options from the memory;   a display for displaying the canned messages and the multiple response options in the retrieved file;   means for selecting one of the canned messages and at least one of the multiple response options appropriate for the selected canned message for communication to a designated other message terminal; and   a transmitter for transmitting the message code assigned to the selected canned message and the response code assigned to the at least one multiple response option over a communications link of the network.   
     
     
       20. The message terminal defined in claim 19, further including means for adding parameters to the selected canned message for inclusion with the assigned message code transmitted over the communications link. 
     
     
       21. A message terminal for use in an electronic messaging network, comprising:; a memory storing a file of canned messages, and message codes respectively assigned thereto and a file of canned multiple response options and response codes respectively assigned thereto;   means for retrieving the file of canned messages and message codes from the memory;   a display for displaying the canned messages in the retrieved file;   means for selecting one of the canned messages for communication to a designated other message terminal and for selecting multiple response options appropriate for the selected canned message;   a message compiler for compiling the assigned message code and the response codes assigned to the selected multiple response options into a message for transmission by the transmitter; and   a transmitter for transmitting the message code assigned to the selected canned message over a communications link of the network.